← Back to the recipe

Ingredients and steps on one page. Print it, or choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog.

Sekai Gohan

Flat White: Australian Café Espresso with Thin Steamed Milk

Servings 1 serving

A flat white in a white ceramic cup, with a small pattern on the level milk surface
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Freshly ground espresso coffee 0.6 oz (18 g) The base shot
Espresso pod (instead of the ground coffee) 1 Use this in place of the ground coffee if you have a pod machine
Milk (whole milk is best) A scant ½ cup (100 ml) Steamed for body and the thin foam layer

Steps

  1. 1Pull the espresso into the cup

    Grind the coffee fine for espresso, put the 0.6 oz (18 g) dose into the portafilter basket and level the surface. If you are using a pod, load it instead. Lock the portafilter or pod into the machine and pull about 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp (35 ml) of espresso into the bottom of the cup. Watch the stream as it runs. It is right when it pours thick and syrupy and leaves a golden crema on top.

    Espresso pouring from the machine into the bottom of a white ceramic cup
    The shot goes straight into the serving cup, so the crema is still intact when the milk arrives

  2. 2Steam the milk to a thin foam

    Pour the milk into the pitcher and set it under the steam wand. Steam with the wand in the milk until it has about ⅜ to ¾ inch (1–2 cm) of foam on top and no tall dome. Then take the pitcher away from the wand. If a few large bubbles sit on the surface, tap the pitcher lightly on the counter to pop them. The milk should look glossy, with fine foam all the way through.

    Steamed milk in the pitcher on the counter, glossy with fine foam
    After steaming, the milk should look shiny, with no large bubbles left on top

  3. 3Pour low and let the pattern form

    Hold the jug so the spout is about 1¼ to 1½ inches (3–4 cm) above the cup and pour the milk steadily into the center of the espresso. As the cup fills, bring the jug down closer to the surface. Just before the spout touches the coffee, tilt the jug and pour faster. The milk hits the back of the cup and folds over itself, and a simple pattern spreads across the top. The cup is done when the surface is level and pale brown, with the pattern sitting on it.